"Your Majesty, the Hanlin Bachelor and the Rite Squire Xu Taifu have returned from Liao, and they are at the palace gate, waiting for the meeting to return to their lives!" Zhang Dejun, the young eunuch of the inner chamberlain, quickly entered and said to Liu Chengyou, who was approving government affairs.

Hearing the report, Liu Chengyou stopped his pen and immediately ordered: "Let him come directly to the Chongzheng Palace, I want to see him, and in addition, call the ministers as well!" ”

"Yes!"

Since the Han and Liao negotiations made peace, Xu Taifu was ordered to go north, meet with Emperor Liao, and submit his credentials, and half a month has passed. So far, he has just returned.

During this period of time, under the deliberate restraint of the upper echelons of both sides, the situation in the north has been further eased. Although on the border, the meticulous work and secret agents of both sides are still actively spying, but the reports they have received are all stepping up the pace of the war, and now, the elimination of the war is a foregone conclusion.

Even so, Liu Chengyou still has a trace of concern about the situation in the north, especially when the war in Huainan has broken out, and he needs to be more cautious. Therefore, Liu Chengyou attaches great importance to Xu Taifu who returned from the mission, and he needs to confirm the attitude and situation of the Khitan people from his mouth.

Soon, the military and political ministers gathered together, and the Han envoy Xu Taifu took pity on his hard work, and Liu Chengyou gave him imperial meals to show his kindness. In this autumn and winter, running north and south, a round trip of more than 2,000 miles, and a tiring journey, with Xu Taifu's age, it is not easy.

"Xu Qing is a national envoy, running back and forth, hard work!" In the hall, Liu Chengyou encouraged him with a friendly attitude, that is, he gave a seat to show his honor.

In the main hall, among the foreign ministers, in addition to the ministers and the commanders of the two divisions, few other civil and military officers are qualified to sit down.

Xu Taifu immediately humbled himself, and after saying a little excitedly that it was his duty to serve the country, he carefully sat down and asked right. If you want to say that Xu Taifu has been out of office since the Later Tang Dynasty, he has experienced more than 20 years in the ups and downs of the regime, but only this time he was fortunate to be ordered by the emperor to go to foreign countries and participate in military and political affairs, and there were some waves in his heart.

"The minister and the Liao envoy Xiao Husi went north, went to Miyun to meet the Khitan Emperor, handed over the credentials, and discussed friendship! According to the minister's view, the Khitan has a very strong heart to negotiate and strike the war, and it should be no different! Knowing what Liu Chengyou wanted to ask, Xu Taifu immediately reported.

"What about the new Khitan master?" Liu Chengyou thought about it and asked.

At the mention of this, Xu Taifu showed a strange look on his face, and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the Khitan lord is young, he has just ascended the throne, and he is not close to state affairs. When the minister went north, he only saw the Khitan lord before and after, and the rest were agreed upon, and they were all received by the Khitan minister Yelu Wuqing. The Khitan lord is good to drink, hunting and playing, the second side of the minister to see him, is that he led the royal tent soldiers, hunting in Yannan, inviting the ministers, showing the power of the army! ”

"This Khitan lord is so unbearable for state affairs?" Hearing this, the ministers were a little surprised.

Wei Renpu's attention was on another point: "That Yelu house? ”

"Wei Xianggong is really smart!" Xu Taifu said with a smile, but quickly regained his solemnity: "According to the minister's investigation in Miyun, the rebellion of Huoshendian was caused by the Khitan royal family Yelu Cha and others who raised troops and killed Yelu Ruan. At the time of the great change, it was this Yelu House that gathered the Khitan Imperial Tent pro-army Pi Room Army to unite with the Khitan Lord Yelu Jing and all the armies to surround and eliminate the rebels and quickly quell the rebellion! ”

"The accession of Jereh Jingzhi is also the leader of this Jeruhhouse, and he is the one who supports his superiority. After Yelujing became emperor, he promised to reward the traitor's property, but he refused, and suggested that the Khitan lord reward other meritorious soldiers. The Khitan lord also took the national state affairs commission, and through his uphold, united the civil and military, the southern Khitan prefectures, counties, and tribes did not collapse. ”

As soon as Xu Taifu explained this, the civil and military officers present only then understood, and Liu Chengyou said thoughtfully: "During this time, the name of Yelu House has also been passed down from the south, so it seems that saving the Khitan country is the result of this Yelu House quality!" ”

"Back to Your Majesty, so to speak!" Xu Taifu's tone was very affirmative.

After saying that, Xu Taifu had a slight hesitation on his face. Liu Chengyou noticed it and asked, "What else did Xu Qing find?" ”

"Your Majesty, the minister has been in Miyun for six days, and as far as the minister observes, the Khitan lord has the appearance of being desolate in state affairs, not like the Ming lord. But after thinking about it, since his accession to the throne, he has treated the civil and military nobles well, rewarded the soldiers and soldiers, and entrusted the whole country with state affairs and good ministers, and this is the ......"

"There is a suspicion of Taoguang and obscurity!" Liu Chengyou also had some interest on his face.

His eyes flickered slightly, and Liu Chengyou seemed to have some personal experience of this. The Son of Heaven didn't speak, and the ministers didn't take this stubble, they all played politics, and they shouldn't be too smart in this regard.

Liu Chengyou quickly came back to his senses: "What is the situation on the Khitan side now?" ”

Hearing this, Xu Taifu said: "Over the past few days, I have lifted the border police and suspended the transfer of troops, and the Khitan monarchs and ministers have gradually let down their guard! ”

"Just before the return of the ministers, the Khitan lord had led his division to secretly return to the north, it is said that Shangjing is uneasy, and there is a rebellion of the Xi people in the country!"

"It is not only a secret return to the north, but also related to its domestic situation, when its national conditions, this should be a confidential matter, how did Xu Shilang know about it?" Guo Wei suddenly asked.

Xu Taifu said: "I learned it from a nobleman left behind by the Khitan in Danzhou——"

"Hiss......" Speaking of this, Xu Taifu himself was taken aback: "Could it be that this is deliberately revealed to the lower officials by the Khitans?" Could it be that the Khitans have another conspiracy? ”

Guo Wei smiled lightly: "I think so!" However, it is not what Xu Shilang guessed! ”

Facing Liu Chengyou, Guo Wei said: "Your Majesty, as reported by the Military Intelligence Department and the front line, it is true that the Khitan soldiers and horses have returned to the north. And the minister guessed that the Khitan people revealed this matter through Xu Shilang because they wanted to calm our court. It can be seen that the Khitan is also extremely jealous of the Han! ”

"Now, on the Khitan side, the main southern military and political officer, named Yelu Tartlie, is worshiped by the Khitan lord as the king of the southern court. Yelu An, the privy envoy in the south, was deprived of military power and transferred back to Shangjing to take up his post. Xu Taifu added.

"Who is this Yelu Tzulie?" Liu Chengyou asked.

The ministers all shook their heads, the personnel situation on the Khitan side really didn't know much about the ministers of the Han Dynasty.

Xu Taifu said: "The minister only knows that this Yelu Tart Lie is also a Khitan royal family, but he has been unknown before, and he has been forty years old before he became a leader, and he is a nobody in a few years. But this person was recommended by Yelu to the Khitan Lord! ”

"That being the case, don't underestimate them! Sometimes, the more penniless people are, the more vigilant they should be and guard against them! Liu Chengyou said: "In addition, the Military Intelligence Department and the Wude Division, in the future, there should be a more detailed investigation of the Khitan officials, nobles and the domestic situation, and organize it into a file!" ”

"Yes!" Guo Wei responded.

"Xu Qing made Liao this time, and he has merit, I should be rewarded, ten brocades, 50,000 money, and the right doctor will be promoted, and the counselor will be in political affairs!" Liu Chengyou on meritorious deeds.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Xu Taifu Shenyu showed a little excitement among them, and hurriedly got up to thank him, but he said in passing: "Your Majesty, now it is the southern expedition, the military resources are very heavy, the state is still insufficient, what the ministers do, is sent within the division, how dare you take credit to receive your majesty's heavy reward, please give the money and silk, for the military!" ”

Seeing Xu Taifu taking such initiative, Liu Chengyou was surprised, but also added a little appreciation, and chuckled: "Xu Qing understands the righteousness, this heart, I will thank the front-line soldiers!" ”

After saying that, after a few mutters, Liu Chengyou looked around, and Liu Chengyou said solemnly: "Now that the northern plague is temporarily gone, you can stop preparing for war in the military prefectures and towns of Hebei, and the soldiers mobilized in various states and the conscripted people will be returned to the township after registration." Observe the situation in the north for a while, and see how the Khitan reacted to our attack on the Tang Dynasty. ”

"Sansi Duzhi, start to calculate, because of the Northern Imperial Khitan, how much grain is lost before and after, I have to have a number in my heart!" Liu Chengyou looked at Xue Juzheng, the deputy envoy of the Third Division, and ordered.

"Khitan, what a huge amount of human power that caused me to lose senselessly!" Liu Chengyou's tone had a strong color of flesh pain.

"Yes!" The ministers of the relevant functions responded in unison.

After the confession, Liu Chengyou was silent for a while, looked around, and reminded the old things in a loud voice: "There is nothing to do in the north today, and I can calmly march south!" ”

As soon as these words fell, the hall was silent, Feng Dao and his ministers glanced at each other, and suggested euphemistically: "Your Majesty is the lord of a country, and the ministers think that it is better to sit in Tokyo and settle the world." Do you want to consider the matter of pro-conscription? ”

With his eyebrows condensed, Liu Chengyou glanced at Feng Dao, making the old fox look away, and he felt a little unhappy in his heart. Whenever he wants to go on a personal expedition, these people always have to stop him, and the previous decision to drive the northern expedition was not easy for the Manchu ministers to reach a consensus.

This time, here we go again.

Although he noticed that the emperor was a little unhappy, but he considered himself the duty of a courtier, Fan Zhen still took the initiative to dissuade him: "Your Majesty, crusade against the pseudo-Tang Dynasty, you have the former commander of Huainan to use your life, why not go to Your Majesty?" The battlefield is fierce, and I am afraid that the royal driver will go in person, which will make the soldiers have scruples when they fight! ”

On Feng Dao, Li Tao and Fan Zhen, they stopped for a while.

Noticing Liu Chengyou's demeanor, Tao Gu, who was fortunate enough to be present, got up and said for Liu Chengyou: "Why don't you think about it the other way around, Your Majesty will go to Huainan in person, and it should boost morale, so that the front-line soldiers can bravely kill the enemy and break the Tang army?" ”

Tao Gu said, Liu Chengyou no longer had the interest to argue with the ministers on the matter of pro-conquest, and said in an unquestionable tone: "In the face of the powerful Khitan in the north, I am still not afraid, let alone the pseudo-Tang Dynasty?" The matter of pro-conquest is decided early and cannot be changed! ”

"The edict is on the 18th of this month, and the royal driver is fortunate to Huainan!"

Feng Dao and the others looked at each other, inevitably a little bitter, but in the face of Liu Chengyou at this time, they could only pinch their noses.

They have served Liu Chengyou for a long time, basically from the beginning of the country, they have watched him grow step by step to the present. It is also clear that when Liu Chengyou reveals such a tough and almost unreasonable attitude, it will be unstoppable, and it will be uninteresting to persuade again.